The chaos of two weight divisions has turned into a chess game with one man, Alex Pereira, standing at the center of it all. Just days after Jon Jones accepted ‘Poatan’s’ challenge for a potential superfight at the historic UFC White House event, another contender has stepped into the spotlight. This time, it’s not a heavyweight calling Pereira up; it’s a hungry light heavyweight calling him back.

Carlos Ulberg, fresh off a thunderous knockout of Dominick Reyes in Perth, isn’t interested in watching Pereira move up a division. While fans dream of Jones vs. Pereira in Washington, Ulberg has his own plans for the two-division champion. To him, the money, the glory, and the statement all lie at 205 pounds, and he’s ready to make that case!

In a recent interview with MMA Junkie on YouTube, ‘Black Jag’ confessed, “You know what, I’d love to fight Alex. I think that’s the big fight. That’s the money fight. That’s an entertaining fight. That’s what the fans would love to see and watch and I’d hope that he’d stick around light heavyweight division so that I could fight Pereira.”

For those unaware, after his thunderous knockout of Magomed Ankalaev at UFC 320 and reclaiming his light heavyweight crown, the Brazilian juggernaut made it clear, he wants Jon Jones at heavyweight next. And ‘Bones’ seemingly is up for the challenge as he wrote on X, “Alex, I’d be down to bring the highest skill level to the White House. I appreciate the respect you showed. Let’s dance.”

Yet, Carlos Ulberg has quietly built one of the most dangerous resumes in the 205 lbs. division, stacking up 9 consecutive wins, five of them by knockout. The New Zealand native, a teammate of Israel Adesanya, has long been touted as one of the UFC’s most technically gifted strikers, and after dismantling Reyes, many believed he may have just punched his ticket to a title shot.

Still, the question lingers: will Alex Pereira even be there? But Ulberg isn’t letting that stop him. He believes Pereira still has unfinished business at light heavyweight, and he wants to be the man to end his reign, as he stated in the interview with MMA Junkie, “That would be the fight that I’ve always wanted, to fight Alex, you beat someone like Alex, that just means you’re at that top level. So, this is putting all the other guys out of the picture, but I want Alex. ”

And he’s not wrong, beating Pereira, the man who’s now a two-time UFC light heavyweight champion and former middleweight titleholder, would instantly catapult him from dark horse to superstar. But the champion, it seems, isn’t going to shift his focus away from chasing Jon Jones!

Alex Pereira drops a cryptic hint about making “heavyweight division great again”

When Alex Pereira watched Tom Aspinall vs. Ciryl Gane end in chaos at UFC 321, he didn’t join the chorus of disappointment; he laughed. While most fans groaned over the no-contest that halted the heavyweight title fight in round one, Poatan saw something else entirely: opportunity.

Moments after the bout, Pereira posted a clip of his reaction to Instagram, smirking as the fight fell apart. The caption said it all: “Let’s make the heavyweight division great again! 🗿 x 🦴 = 🏠.” The emojis weren’t random. The stone face represented him, the bone symbolized Jon Jones, and the house? The UFC White House card, a stage big enough for legends.

It wasn’t the first time Pereira had hinted at his next move, but this post made it official. The Brazilian knockout artist wasn’t chasing Tom Aspinall’s belt or Ciryl Gane’s redemption arc; he was going straight for the man who defined dominance. He’s already conquered middleweight and light heavyweight, becoming the first fighter since Jones himself to reign twice at 205 lbs. What’s left for a man who’s built his career on doing the impossible?

If Pereira moves to heavyweight, Carlos Ulberg’s dream fight might vanish before it begins. Yet, in this ever-evolving UFC chessboard, nothing is certain. Maybe Pereira shocks the world again and conquers a third division. Maybe Ulberg forces him to look back one last time at 205. Either way, one thing’s clear: the light heavyweight division may belong to Pereira, but it’s Ulberg who’s knocking the loudest on the throne room door. The only question is, will ‘Poatan’ answer, or will he already be gone when it swings open? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!